I'm talking about Playtime! Yay!
I hope all you pet parents are taking some time out of your busy day to play with your doggies.
Playtime with your dog has so many benefits for dogs as well as humans.
It makes mommy Renza laugh like a crazy person and we both get some much-needed exercise.
Here are some benefits of playtime.
Benefits of playing with your dog
1. Reduces stress
For those who are stressed, playing with your dog will help reduce some of that stress. It makes you and us happier.
Mommy feels much better after a long day when she plays with me. I'm loads of fun! She says I'm a little crazy but it's all lies. She's the crazy one!
Playing also helps doggies release pent-up energy that can lead to aggression and other behavioral issues.
Mommy feels much better after a long day when she plays with me. I'm loads of fun! She says I'm a little crazy but it's all lies. She's the crazy one!
Playing also helps doggies release pent-up energy that can lead to aggression and other behavioral issues.
2. Builds trust and love
Mommy bought me a ball, frisbee and my personal favorite, the tug rope (ropey). She keeps them in a safe place and only takes them out when we play.
Even though they are my toys, she says she needs to keep it with her because I chew on the toys. I can’t help it you guys, I’m a dog.
At the beginning when I got my first ball (on ball number 4 now) and frisbee, I didn't know the rules yet.
When we played fetch, I ran fast to get the ball and tried my best to keep it away from her. I also chewed the frisbee and it’s a little broken now.
One day she sat down on the ground when we played and when I retrieved the ball I dropped it in her lap. She was probably tired of trying to get it from me. It made her really happy.
I then tried my best to bring it back to her. It was really hard you guys because I loved guarding my stuff and suddenly I had to share, but I also love seeing mommy happy.
Playtime helps us bond and we get to know each other better. I trust that she will always give my stuff back and make sure I'm taken care of.
I even allow her to put her hand in my food bowl while eating. I know right? Who puts their hands in someone's food? I told you she was nuts!
Even though they are my toys, she says she needs to keep it with her because I chew on the toys. I can’t help it you guys, I’m a dog.
At the beginning when I got my first ball (on ball number 4 now) and frisbee, I didn't know the rules yet.
When we played fetch, I ran fast to get the ball and tried my best to keep it away from her. I also chewed the frisbee and it’s a little broken now.
One day she sat down on the ground when we played and when I retrieved the ball I dropped it in her lap. She was probably tired of trying to get it from me. It made her really happy.
I then tried my best to bring it back to her. It was really hard you guys because I loved guarding my stuff and suddenly I had to share, but I also love seeing mommy happy.
Playtime helps us bond and we get to know each other better. I trust that she will always give my stuff back and make sure I'm taken care of.
I even allow her to put her hand in my food bowl while eating. I know right? Who puts their hands in someone's food? I told you she was nuts!
3. Teaches rules
When ropey came along, I didn’t know what it was. It made me really scared. Grrr!!
Mommy started to wave it around and then kept it close to my mouth so I could try biting the rope to get familiar with it. After 10 min, I didn't care about my ball anymore.
I just play with ropey now and she combined fetch with tug. I retrieve ropey and then we tug a little.
Renza says she read on the internet some people were discouraged from playing tug of war with their doggies. Apparently, it teaches them to be aggressive.
That’s crazy! It taught me self-control. I stopped tearing my blanket and mat apart and I stopped resource guarding,
It’s way more fun to play fetch tug with mommy instead of guarding the toy and we are closer because we have so much fun together.
When we play fetch tug, she counts down to three so that I don’t jump up to grab ropey. While counting she makes like she is going to throw.
She likes teasing me. I get crazily excited and run really fast to go fetch it.
When I come back with ropey I get lots of praise and thanks me for bringing it back. Then we tug and sometimes she wins and sometimes I win.
It makes us doggies more confident if we win now and again. Especially the doggies that are fearful and anxious like I was.
Remember to teach your dog the ‘let go’ trick when playing tug of war. Otherwise, you’re not going to enjoy the game much.
When your dog tugs say 'let go' and the minute he lets go, give a high-value treat. Then repeat, repeat, repeat. Soon there will be no need for a treat. They will know what ‘let go’ means.
Mommy taught me 'let go' just by saying the words and then she stops tugging at ropey. When the toy moves around that encourages the tugging.
When the toy stops moving, we stop tugging. My reward was that I get to run after ropey.
That means toys can be used as a reward as well. It all depends on your dog. I sometimes have to sit or do the down trick before she throws.
If I get too excited she stops the game for a minute or goes inside. Then I have to behave better because I don’t want playtime to end.
She also tells me when it’s the last throw so that I know. Doggies are smart you guys. We love routines and repeating things help us learn.
Don't worry! I'm aware of her manipulation tricks, but I'm still the master of sad puppy eyes. That's like human kryptonite and Renza's weakness. Woof!
Got to go now. It’s almost playtime. Yay!
Mommy started to wave it around and then kept it close to my mouth so I could try biting the rope to get familiar with it. After 10 min, I didn't care about my ball anymore.
I just play with ropey now and she combined fetch with tug. I retrieve ropey and then we tug a little.
Renza says she read on the internet some people were discouraged from playing tug of war with their doggies. Apparently, it teaches them to be aggressive.
That’s crazy! It taught me self-control. I stopped tearing my blanket and mat apart and I stopped resource guarding,
It’s way more fun to play fetch tug with mommy instead of guarding the toy and we are closer because we have so much fun together.
When we play fetch tug, she counts down to three so that I don’t jump up to grab ropey. While counting she makes like she is going to throw.
She likes teasing me. I get crazily excited and run really fast to go fetch it.
When I come back with ropey I get lots of praise and thanks me for bringing it back. Then we tug and sometimes she wins and sometimes I win.
It makes us doggies more confident if we win now and again. Especially the doggies that are fearful and anxious like I was.
Remember to teach your dog the ‘let go’ trick when playing tug of war. Otherwise, you’re not going to enjoy the game much.
When your dog tugs say 'let go' and the minute he lets go, give a high-value treat. Then repeat, repeat, repeat. Soon there will be no need for a treat. They will know what ‘let go’ means.
Mommy taught me 'let go' just by saying the words and then she stops tugging at ropey. When the toy moves around that encourages the tugging.
4. Playtime as the reward for behaving
When the toy stops moving, we stop tugging. My reward was that I get to run after ropey.
That means toys can be used as a reward as well. It all depends on your dog. I sometimes have to sit or do the down trick before she throws.
If I get too excited she stops the game for a minute or goes inside. Then I have to behave better because I don’t want playtime to end.
She also tells me when it’s the last throw so that I know. Doggies are smart you guys. We love routines and repeating things help us learn.
Don't worry! I'm aware of her manipulation tricks, but I'm still the master of sad puppy eyes. That's like human kryptonite and Renza's weakness. Woof!
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| Me and ropey |
She must be talking about herself. Grrr!! Remember a happy dog makes a happy human.
Woof!! Woooof!!!
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Author: Buffy
Job: Guard dog, part-time blogger
Likes: Playing, eating and sleeping
Dislikes: Grooming and food thieves
Pic credit: Pixabay free stock images Renza edited.
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